America’s Beloved At-Home Cycling Workout Just Launched In Canada

Alyssa Ball

Warning: working out at home just got way more convenient.

Imagine you didn’t have to leave your home to attend a high-energy indoor cycling class. It would mean no more packing a gym bag; no more overused equipment; no more waiting list to get into your favourite instructors class. Sounds pretty convenient, right?

Thanks to Peloton, a thriving American fitness company that offers over 10,000 24-hour on-demand workouts and daily live-streaming cycling classes from their New York-based broadcasting studio straight to your home, this is now possible. Peloton officially launched in Canada on October 10th, and currently has one Toronto retail showroom location (130 Bloor St. West in Yorkville), where you are able to book a trial ride and test out the bike for yourself.

“We think we can transform a lot of bedrooms into a lot of fun,” says Tom Cortese, co-founder and COO of Peloton, when I caught up with him a couple of months back in New York to speak about the Canadian launch. “I feel like we’ve heard so much demand from the Canadian market, and we’re eager to finally be able to fulfill that demand with the complete Peloton promise,” says Cortese. A promise that’s way more than just providing a bike in your home. It’s about providing a complete white-glove experience: from the showroom where you can book a trial ride, to the sales team if you order your bike online, to the delivery process where their field-ops team actually shows up to your home, assembles the bike in front of you and works with you to make sure you’re comfortable with every aspect of the equipment. (Find out the best workout for your age.)

But how is Peloton providing the best fitness experience in-the-home?

For starters, the bike itself is completely designed for the home: containing a compact frame of 4- by 2-feet and a 22-inch sweat-proof HD touchscreen. But besides its exterior, the bike’s entire concept is essentially an amped-up version of a boutique spin class: better instructors, better classes, better equipment because, well… it’s only being used by you after all, and an inspiring community that allows you to ride alongside thousands of people at once. In a nutshell, Peloton is shaking up the world of fitness by making your daily workout the most convenient part of your day. Whether that’s before sunrise or at midnight, you have the ability to fit your favourite instructor’s class into your schedule.

But beyond its beloved features, Cortese wants Canada to know that they’re not just hawking their product up here. “We’re genuinely committed to the market, and to bringing all of the aspects of the Peloton experience to our new members.”

Peloton Bike, $2,625 + $49 per month for subscription fee; available at onepeloton.ca. Plus, more showroom locations to open in the coming weeks: Yorkdale in Toronto, Chinook Centre in Calgary and West Edmonton Mall.